The sun had begun to set and Eirik judged he had an hour of daylight left. While waiting, he'd spent his time devouring what rations he carried and drinking half the water in his canteen. He put his things away, gave his axes a final check for sharpness and tightened his boots. With a deep breath, he ventured back outside.

A quick look from the vantage point revealed a great deal of activity down in the camp below. Aa shift change in the mine was taking place and the men assigned to guard the slaves were pushing the fresh workers in the direction of the mine head.

Eirik turned away and followed the path back along the stream. The mountainside rose steeply at his side and he broke into a jog, keen to find an easier spot to ascend. He knew where he needed to be even though it wasn't the trail he'd been on. As he scrambled up the slope to more stable ground, he felt the excitement starting to build within him. When the rock face flattened out Eirik ducked down behind the first boulder he found and peered around it, scouting for danger. A faint itch scraped the back of his head as he directed his gaze toward the location of the mine, and he smiled to himself. The source of his ability was still unknown but he was starting to trust the signals now.

Keeping low, Eirik ran across the rock, dodging into cover whenever he could. It was important that no-one saw him before he wished it. Running across the mountaintop lay a wide track created by the passage of many feet. Eirik took a quick glance to the south and committed the path to memory, before turning north and heading for the mine.

The itching grew stronger as he walked and, up ahead, he saw the path begin its decent to the encampment. On each side of the path, he could see wooden sentry posts, each with a moving shadow in attendance. Eirik stopped skulking among the rocks and walked tall, his heart beating faster now. As he drew closer, he realised he'd left his approach a little too late and the growing dusk was making it harder for them to spot him. Need to get closer. Hope there aren't too many out here, he thought, one hand dropping to his belt.

The attack came out of nowhere. Eirik tumbled to the ground as the man struck him from the side in a flying tackle. As he kicked his way free and drew his weapons, his attacker threw back his head and bellowed a warning clearly aimed at the sentries. Shouted replies and the sound of a horn spurred Eirik into action. The first slash at his enemy's gut was parried but the second sliced through the thin leather armour protecting the man's arm. Eirik dodged two angry swings of a short sword and blocked a third.

"Looks like we missed one," the man snarled through his dirty, broken teeth before swinging at Eirik's head. Eirik eluded the blade with ease, twisted in a circle and chopped at a poorly-armoured leg. The bit of the axe struck bone with a thud which was drowned by a cry of anguish. Eirik tugged the blade free and spat in his opponent's agonised face. Hurried footfalls approached and he saw a light dancing towards him.

"Canthia's not finished yet, shit bag," Eirik snapped. He stamped down hard on the wounded man's knee, eliciting a scream, then spun on his heel and fled. As he tucked his axes back in his belt, he could just hear the shouts of dismay behind him. He didn't linger and instead broke into a run along the rocky path back the way he came.

A clear sky allowed the moon to light Eirik's way as he ran along the mountain path. He wasn't sprinting now, having heard the scouts stop at their fallen comrade. Instead, he maintained a brisk jog over the compacted gravel path that had now begun to descend in a southward direction. His senses told him that he was not being followed and, even though he didn't understand how he knew this, he was beginning to trust his senses. Likewise, he didn't pay any attention to where he put his feet, trusting his instincts not to stick his foot in a hole. His breath came easily and his muscles relaxed into a pace he felt he could maintain for days. Only a thin sheen of sweat on his face and neck betrayed the effort his body was making.

His thoughts flew to Holgrim and Greenwood, and he hoped they had at least made it to the forest. Although he didn't expect to be followed immediately, Eirik didn't like the idea of arriving back first leaving his comrades open to attack by an angry advance party from the mine. The possibility of Mantea tribesmen among the trees was a given. He dismissed both thoughts as beyond his control and focused on getting back to safety.

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Time passed and Eirik could eventually make out the dark shape of the forest to the southeast. Briefly he considered cutting from the path to the small clearing they had stopped at on the way out, just in case the other had stopped there to wait for him. He suspected Greenwood would have urged them back to Canthia, given how much faith he seemed to have in Eirik's abilities, but he knew Holgrim was a stickler for military etiquette and loath to leave a man behind. With that in mind, he adjusted his course down the slope until he was engulfed by the forest.

The darkness was almost complete beneath the canopy. Eirik skimmed past trees and bushes, the leaves barely registering his passage. His eyes saw little in the blackness, but a soft, tickling sensation in the centre of his forehead guided his feet through the maze of tree trunks as accurately as if it were daylight. A feeling of freedom filled him and Eirik sucked in huge breaths of the fresh forest air, aware he was enjoying himself when he should have been terrified. He didn't know why and he didn't care. All he knew was that running alone through the forest in darkness was the most liberating and joyous feeling he'd ever had. Nature surrounded and enveloped him, and he experienced a connection to it that was so strong, it was exhilarating.

The clearing stood empty and Eirik almost laughed in relief. He stopped for a few minutes to drain his canteen to the dregs before pressing on southward toward the town. It wasn't far now, not at a good running pace.

An itch in his right ear caused him to snap his head to the side. Without stopping, he strained his eyes in the darkness and felt his heart leap in his chest. He didn't see anything. Instead, he quickened his pace and adjusted his path away from the feeling. It likely a roving group of tribesmen keeping an eye on the trade road while indulging in a little night hunting, and Eirik had no desire to meet them. He put on an extra spurt of speed until he reached a sprint, still trusting his inner eye to guide him through the trees.

Bursting from cover just north of the wall, Eirik dashed across the open grass to the gate. He raised a hand to thump on the wood and missed as the gate swung smartly inward. A group of torches stood waiting for him and he jogged over to find Greenwood and Holgrim waiting, their faces glowing with tiredness and relief. He took the ale bottle Holgrim held out and guzzled the contents with enthusiasm. Wiping his mouth and grinning widely, he offered a jaunty salute to his captain.

"Mission accomplished, sir."

The sun had been up for several hours by the time Eirik awoke. He sat up sharply, unsure at first where he was until Ruefin appeared at his side.

"Awake at last. Here, have some breakfast," Ruefin pushed a steaming mug into one of Eirik's hands and a bacon sandwich into the other.

"What's going on?" Eirik mumbled around a mouthful of food. He watched Ruefin move to the window.

"Nothing so far, although it's early yet. Holgrim wants to see you when you're ready,"

"Shit! You should have kicked me awake earlier," Eirik crammed the rest of the sandwich into his mouth and started reaching for his boots.

"He said to let you sleep in," Ruefin replied, turning from the window to face him, "seeing how far you had to run yesterday. How was it?"

"Invigorating. Might take up running as a hobby,"

Eirik grabbed his belt and axes and left the bunkhouse, blinking a little in the bright sunlight. The heat hit him and he found himself remembering the cool night air form the night before and how pleasant it had felt on his skin. He found Holgrim at the gate with a group of twenty soldiers who stood wearing full armour and determined expressions. On seeing Eirik, Holgrim finished giving instructions and strode over, wiping his face with a rag.

"Hope you're rested," he began, "because we're going to need you on duty until something happens."

"I'm fine," Eirik replied. "What's the plan?"

Holgrim began to walk toward a set of wooden steps leading to the top of the wall where a parapet led around the city. As they walked, Eirik saw a dozen of his fellows with bows stationed at the lookout points along the north side of the parapet. Each man had his bow ready but stood where he couldn't be seen from the outside. At a point roughly in the middle of the northern wall, Eirik saw a rough straw mat with a canteen and a scrap of red fabric beside it. Holgrim stopped beside it and extended a hand.

"This is where I need you to be. You don't need to be able to see to know there's visitors coming, right?"

"That's true,"

"That's what I though. Sit your arse down and get comfortable because you're going to be up here all day. Stay out of sight like the archers - I don't want our visitors to know there's soldiers here. You have a gap here to look through if necessary, otherwise stay down. If you get a twitch, wave the red flag and the archers will start taking them down as soon as they break cover. Questions?"

"None,"

"Good,"

Eirik rearranged the mat to his comfort and rested his back against the wall, his eyes half closed. Nothing left to do now but wait.